THOUSANDS of racegoers face chaos travelling to tomorrow's Grand National - while bookies have slashed the odds of the meeting being cancelled due to snow.

Rail guards in Merseyside went out on strike today and they were expected to walk out again tomorrow, hitting about 60,000 travellers. The strike follows the failure of talks to resolve a dispute over hours.

The Rail Maritime and Transport union said guards at Merseyrail will walk out for 48 hours in a long- running row over a 35-hour week.

When the M.E.N. called the National Rail Enquries hotline early today, we were told at first services were running as normal. It was only when we suggested there was a strike they advised that travellers should make alternative arrangements.

However, it will be possible to take the Trans-Pennine Express from Manchester Piccadilly into Liverpool, with about three leaving every hour tomorrow morning.

Merseyrail has arranged a free bus service to ferry the estimated 60,000 passengers who would have used local trains to attend the National.

The buses will run to Aintree from St George's Hall, opposite Liverpool's Lime Street train station.

However, punters will have a little longer to get to the big race of the day, usually the fourth, which now takes place at 4.10pm instead of 3.45pm because of the Royal wedding.

Charles Barnett, managing director at Aintree, said: "We have made this decision in consultation with the BBC in order to offer members of the public the best possible afternoon's viewing."

Odds

The first four races from Aintree will be shown live on BBC2, and coverage will switch to BBC1 at 3.30pm, for the build-up to the big race. Bookies William Hill are slashing to odds on the race being called off because of snow from 100-1 to 12-1.

The last time the National was postponed due to snow was in 1962.

There was a brief snow flurry at Aintree on Thursday morning but it soon cleared.

Meanwhile, the RMT union has accused Merseyrail of insisting that compensation would not be paid for rest days which fell during a guard's holiday.

The RMT union represents around 170 guards on Merseyrail, which runs services throughout the north west, including the station close to the Aintree course.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow said: "It is a nonsense for the company to go through the motions of mediation with its fingers crossed behind its back. They have effectively told the mediator that they will only accept the outcome if it goes their way, and that amounts to contempt for the whole process. The company is still trying to give with one hand and take away with the other."

Merseyrail spokesman Rudi Boersma said: "We're very disappointed. The Grand National weekend is our busiest weekend of the year but we have to recommend that people seek other means of getting to Aintree.

"It is unfortunate for us, because we do not like to recommend that people do not use our service.

"We introduced a 35-hour week because the staff wanted it. We asked for some flexibility with rest days and the drivers and ticket inspectors agreed, but the guards want the 35-hour week without any conditions."

Merseyside Police advised racegoers to leave plenty of time to get to Aintree on both days.

Chief Supt Colin Matthews added: "We would strongly advise people not to use their own vehicles but to rely on local bus services and taxis."

Should a strike be allowed to affect such an importnat occasion? Have your say.